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2021-12-31-accounts

© VICKY NALL

Annual Report and Accounts For year ended December 2021

kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

01622 662012 | info@kentwildlife.org.uk Kent Wildlife Trust, Tyland Barn, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3BD Registered Charity No. 239992. A company limited in England and Wales by guarantee 633098.

Protecting Wildlife for the Future

Contents

Our year in numbers

£8m

Total Income

Reference and administrative detail of the charity, its honorary officers and advisers

£5.8m Spent in conservation

£0.3m

Spent on education and engagement activities

£3.5m

received from gifts and wills allowing us to invest in future conservation priorities

8,000+ acres in Kent managed by the Trust

More than 250 million people reached with the Trust’s flagship project news

Honorary officers

John Leigh Pemberton President

Christopher West Chair

Company registered number

00633098

Registered office

Tyland Barn, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3BD

Chief Executive Officer

Evan Bowen-Jones

Solicitors

Anthony Collins, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES

Charles Tassell Vice Chair

Nigel Steele Treasurer

Charity registered number

239992

Independent auditor

BHP LLP,

57-59 Saltergate, Chesterfield, S40 1UL

Bankers

Barclays Bank PLC, 80 High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1LR

Investment managers

Sarasin & Partners LLP, Juxon House, 100 St Paul’s Churchyard, London, EC4M 8BU

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Chairman’s introduction

Welcome to our annual report for 2021. Sadly, this year commenced with a third national lockdown, and the pandemic continued to dominate all our lives throughout the year. On behalf of all the Trustees, I therefore want to start by expressing sincere thanks to the management and staff of Kent Wildlife Trust for their resilience and dedication, as well as to all our members, supporters, and volunteers for their steadfast loyalty.

Set against the challenges faced in 2021, it is therefore remarkable how much progress was achieved managing and increasing our reserves, tackling ash dieback, re-opening Visitor Centres, increasing the number of farmer clusters, and engaging in a more strategic way with volunteers.

Three examples demonstrate how the hard work undertaken in 2021 will generate visible impact in 2022. Significant headway was made in preparing for the arrival of European bison through the Wilder Blean project in partnership with Wildwood Trust. The opening of a display aviary for choughs at Dover Castle, building on our long-term efforts to restore and protect chalk downland habitat in the Dover area, will enable people to enjoy seeing these iconic birds flying free once again over the White Cliffs in 2022. The hard work to establish Wilder Carbon has now created the basis for supporting high quality conservation projects in 2022 that will both lock up carbon and generate real biodiversity gains.

While this annual report contains much to be proud of, we also need to be vigilant to the challenges ahead. Kent faces unprecedented growth and change over the coming decades. Our efforts alongside others to secure the future of the Swanscombe Peninsula in north Kent – of national significance for rare insects – demonstrates the threats to biodiversity associated with development pressure. Long term climate change will impact our efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and is critically linked to our health and economy.

Given the opportunities and uncertainties ahead, I am therefore pleased to confirm that the accounts demonstrate that the Trust remains in a robust financial position. This is a testament to both prudence as well as the generosity of donors and other supporters.

I would like to end by thanking you all – volunteers, members, supporters, partners, and staff – for your important and generous support throughout the year. You are all vital to nature’s recovery and to a Wilder Kent.

Christopher West Chair

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Trustees’ annual report including directors’ report and strategic report

The Council of Management (the Board of Trustees hereinafter referred to as “Council”) present their annual report together with the audited financial statements of Kent Wildlife Trust (hereinafter referred to as “the Trust”) for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

requirements of the parent charitable company’s governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019).

The annual report serves the purposes of both a Trustees’ report and a directors’ report under company law. The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the parent charitable company comply with the current statutory requirements, the

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Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 crisis continued to impact the Trust in 2021. There were fewer lockdowns than 2020, however multiple phases of increased restrictions and isolation requirements made it very difficult for us as an organisation to reach out to supporters, particularly for our staff who usually work face-to-face in their roles.

Even with the resulting shortfall in the Trust’s resourcing, the impact on the Trust’s bottom line was comparatively minimal. The Group remained robust in financial and operational terms, and the dynamic ecosystem of members, volunteers and staff continued to pull together brilliantly. Nature reserves also continued to benefit as a result of the work of the Estates Team who put in an enormous effort throughout the pandemic, and wildlife continued to thrive across the estate as a result.

The Trust continued to abide by risk mitigation measures throughout the year, limiting income to Visitor Centres and resulting in significant Trustee and senior staff time spent on risk assessment and management.

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Our strategy

In 2019, the Trust set out a five-year strategy to achieve a Wilder Kent. The strategy is based on a 25-year vision of restoring abundant wildlife in 30% of the land and sea, and engaging with one in four people in the county about the importance of nature. This report covers the third year of this strategy and focuses upon the progress made against three main goals.

Goal 1: Bringing wildlife back

Flagship projects

choughs to Kent. A key priority for this flagship project is to maintain and create more chalk grassland (the preferred habitat for choughs). In the summer of 2021, £10k was raised which allowed a display aviary to be built at Dover Castle. Thousands of visitors came to view the resident choughs and learn about the project. In October 2021, a ‘Restoring the Chough to Kent’ appeal was launched. Since then, over £60k has been raised for ongoing work, which has been matched by a major donor. Significant progress has been made in organising the logistics of the chough release, including identifying a release site, working with local landowners, and obtaining a release licence from Natural England.

The Wilder Blean project, a partnership project between the Trust and Wildwood Trust, and funded by People’s Postcode Lottery, continued throughout 2021. Key infrastructure projects, such as fence installation and pond creation, were delivered in 2021 in preparation for the arrival of European bison. In January 2021, the call was put out to recruit the UK’s first-ever Bison Rangers. We received over 1,000 applications from across the world. This announcement generated significant local, national, and international publicity, from media such as ITV and Sky, and from interviews with Canadian radio channels. The Trust also acquired Pine Cottage, a building in the heart of the reserve, through support from a very generous donor. The building has now been named the Heather Corrie Ranger Station and will serve as a base for the Bison Rangers and other operational members of the Wilder Blean team.

Estates management

Car parking charges were introduced at eight Trust sites in 2021 to provide new and sustainable income for the Trust’s reserves. Despite the impact of Covid-19, income from car parking totalled £57k in 2021. We anticipate this will grow in future.

Following ongoing efforts to restore chalk grassland habitat in the Dover area, 2021 saw the unveiling of a ground-breaking conservation project from the Trust and Wildwood Trust: returning red-billed

Woodlands Golf Course in the Darent Valley was acquired in 2021 through a very generous donation

and will now be a key site in the Wilder Carbon initiative. The aim is to create a new reserve, now named Heather Corrie Vale, which will be managed through natural processes and low intensity conservation grazing, to lock up both soil carbon and above-ground carbon, while simultaneously improving the site for wildlife.

The ‘Wilder Grazing Strategy’, initiated in 2021, supports the Trust’s wilding approach through the implementation of naturalistic grazing. This strategy meets the organisation’s wider goal to introduce wilding methodology to other Trusts and organisations within the movement.

The impact of Covid-19 continued to affect the Trust’s nature reserves in 2021. The Estates Team were able to return to all sites during the year; however, antisocial behaviour, such as vandalism and dog attacks, remained an issue.

Ash dieback continues to be a significant problem across the Trust’s reserves, with approximately 17,000 trees identified with symptoms. However, extensive mapping and assessment work carried out in 2021 has enabled plans to be formulated to tackle this issue whilst minimising the number of trees that have to be felled.

Protected Area Wardens worked hard in 2021 to engage people around the Trust’s sensitive coastal sites. Their work focused on the importance of minimising human disturbance that particularly vulnerable species are subject to at these important sites.

Supporting our partners

Over 70% of Kent is farmland. Farmers are therefore key to the Trust’s vision of restoring abundant wildlife on 30% of the land. ‘Farmer Clusters’ represent one of the many successful examples of the partnerships between farmers and the Trust. The Upper Beult Farmer Cluster, in partnership with Southern Water, helps farmers protect and improve water quality, soil health and biodiversity. In 2021, a new Farmer Cluster in the Darent Valley was established in partnership with Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to focus on supporting wildlife-friendly farming in both the Valley and the AONB.

The East Kent Beaver Advisory Group continued to work effectively as a coalition between statutory agencies, landowners, and conservationists in 2021. A model framework on the coexistence between humans and beavers has been rolled out nationally.

The Trust formalised its relationship with the RSPB and the Woodland Trust in 2021 by creating a joint vision for the Blean Landscape. This partnership will work to restore functioning ecosystems across the Blean, building on the work the Trust has started to do on its own West Blean landholding where its pioneering bison project is being implemented.

2021 also saw the Trust working closely with Buglife, CPRE Kent and the Save Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI campaign group to secure the future of the Swanscombe Peninsula from the London Resort theme park development - a scheme which threatens to build on 100 hectares of protected habitat. In 2021, the coalition worked together to ensure that the SSSI notification was completed, and it responded to London Resort consultations, engaged fully with the planning process and rallied with the local community to raise awareness of the site’s importance. The London Resort proposal is being considered as a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’. Work will continue in 2022 to oppose the planning process. A Crowdjustice campaign was launched in 2021 between the partner organisations and has now raised over £50k to support the cost of specialist barristers experienced in such legal proceedings, enabling them to cast a critical eye over the processes and decisions. The money from these donations will also allow the coalition to bring in expert advisors to strengthen the campaign.

Advocacy and policy

Throughout 2021, the Trust maintained positive relationships with local MPs, meeting on issues affecting their constituencies, raising awareness of biodiversity and climate and seeking to influence the Environment Bill. This work complemented the national advocacy delivered by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, to which the Trust pays a financial contribution. Their work in 2021 was key in aiming to ensure that the new post-Brexit agricultural payments schemes are more beneficial to wildlife. Whether the government now delivers on their green promises in this regard remains to be seen. Either way, the new Environmental Land Management Scheme will have direct financial implications for the Trust’s operations as it will affect how the Trust pays for on-the-ground nature reserve management in future. It is, therefore, something that the Trust hopes is positively resolved in 2022.

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Goal 2: Engaging with people

Visitor centres

School visits were inevitably lower during 2021 than hoped, however additional activities were offered, including online workshops and an increased delivery of education projects by the Trust.

The Romney Marsh and Sevenoaks Visitor Centres reopened for business in mid-April 2021 in line with government guidelines. The Tyland Barn Visitor Centre remained closed to the public apart from occasional events and school group visits.

Engagement

An important aspect of the Trust’s engagement focus in 2021 was helping people understand the positive impact that nature can have on mental health and wellbeing. In 2021, the Trust secured funding to deliver weekly wellbeing sessions at Maidstone and Sevenoaks. This funding has been extended for a second year and activities will continue throughout 2022.

Activities and events were run from all three centres in 2021, many in partnership with affiliated projects, increasing visitor numbers and customer engagement. Visitor Centre takings totalled £69k and government grants worth £62k were claimed during the year.

Planning for an updated Visitor Centre at Sevenoaks continues, with planning permission approval expected in 2022.

£60k of funding was also secured to deliver a twoyear Nature and Wellbeing programme to dementia residents at the Harmonia Dementia Village, the first purpose-built village of its kind in the UK. A number of grants and smaller funding pots were also secured in 2021 for the delivery of six-week Nature and Wellbeing programmes at various locations across the county.

Volunteering programme

Volunteers are critical to the delivery of the Trust’s mission, and their contribution is valued enormously. A ‘Volunteer Task Force’ was established in 2021 to represent the wider volunteering team and to support honest and constructive feedback between volunteers and the Trust’s operational team. This initiative has been supported by the Trust’s senior management team who have been conducting regular day visits to meet with volunteers.

The Down to Earth project continued to support women in the Romney Marsh area in 2021. The project aimed to increase participants’ physical activity and the volunteering opportunities available to them by connecting them with nature. In 2021, the Down to Earth team delivered over 110 sessions to over 600 women and 400 children in the Romney Marsh area.

The Trust has also begun to refresh its volunteering strategy so that it can better understand and report on this aspect of the Trust’s work. A new volunteer handbook has also been created. Throughout 2021, volunteer numbers remained buoyant, with many volunteers returning to roles that were paused during the pandemic.

Our landscape-scale conservation project, Fifth Continent, managed to achieve many of its deliverables in 2021 despite ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. These included the completion of an oral history book and filming for ‘A Day in the Life.’ Glass screens and seating were added to the Newchurch Interpretation Hub and a two-day Nature and Heritage festival took place. The project’s trainee programme was also launched in 2021, with three young people from the local area taking up trainee conservation roles.

Education

A successful fundraising application to Biffa Awards in 2021 resulted in £48k of fresh funding to replace and redevelop the pond dipping platforms at Tyland Barn. The new nature-inspired platforms were installed in May 2022 and unveiled at an opening event in May. These platforms will improve capacity and accessibility to the site whilst supporting the Trust’s educational aims.

Activities continued throughout 2021 in support of the Wilder Blean project, increasing reach with stakeholders, residents and interest groups, both locally and nationally. Many of these activities were delivered in partnership with Wildwood Trust and they achieved a reach of over 600 people both in person and online. Over 350 students took part in related Blean educational activities.

Further fundraising success supported developments at Oak Lodge in Sevenoaks including new signage, garden improvements and furniture.

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Through the Wilder Kent Awards, the Trust engages with nurseries, schools, colleges and community groups, empowering them to take positive action for nature. The award scheme enables knowledge and skills to be shared by entrants, encouraging and helping them to aim higher to increase their award level year on year. In 2021, the Trust also increased audience numbers by launching a Wilder Kent Award for villages, towns, cities and universities.

In 2021, the Trust worked closely with Bromley and District Angling Society to create a ‘Wilder Angling Strategy’. This work will continue throughout 2022. This strategy will not only support the Trust’s vision for Sevenoaks Nature Reserve but will also help anglers gain a better understanding of the Trust’s work, putting the restoration and protection of nature and wildlife at the forefront of their activities.

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Goal 3: Investing in nature

Marketing and communications

The importance of marketing and communication continued to be emphasised in 2021. The Trust’s announcement of the UK’s first-ever Bison Rangers for the Wilder Blean project gained 285 pieces of coverage with a combined potential global reach of over 260 million. Thanks to funding from two major donors, the Bugs Matter app was developed in 2021. The top three articles about this ground-breaking application, one that has brought science to the pockets of thousands, had a combined reach of over 215 million. The Trust’s social media channels also grew significantly in 2021, with 721, 1,200 and 661 new followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, respectively. Website visits grew by 58,000.

The ongoing implementation of the Trust’s new Customer Relationship Management system (CRM), although challenging, enabled the first real-time donation process to take place in 2021 with the ‘Restoring the Chough to Kent’ appeal. As the first species-specific appeal run by the Trust in several years, it was difficult to predict how well it would be received by the Trust’s supporter base. It was brilliant to see that the tweet announcing its launch got the second highest engagement of any tweet that year.

The ambitious work towards a Wilder Kent really inspired philanthropic giving from individuals and grant makers. The ground-breaking work at the Blean helped secure a donation of £250k from the Michael Uren Foundation, and substantial support was secured for several key projects from private individuals.

The Wilder Kent magazine continued to be produced 3 times per year throughout the pandemic, alongside our email newsletters delivering wild content to over 15,000 households and businesses. We also launched our wildercarbon.com website, which saw nearly 1,000 web visits, and began the Wilder Blean Diaries which took viewers behind the scenes to learn more about the project and the wildlife at Blean, attracting 2,879 video views. With the continued high media interest and popularity of these projects, we’re excited to see how we can capitalise on this success in 2022 with our larger communications team.

Corporate membership continued to fall in the first half of 2021 when the Trust was without a dedicated member of staff to build and maintain corporate relationships. However, midway through 2021, as the pandemic receded, the Trust employed a new Corporate Partnerships Manager. This appointment has allowed the Trust to review its corporate offer, create a new strategy and engage with new corporates in a meaningful way. Two new corporate partners joined the Trust at the end of 2021 and one existing member increased their support to a partnership level. These three partnerships exceeded budget estimations for 2019, 2020 and 2021 combined and put the Trust in an exciting position for 2022.

Membership and fundraising

Although 2021 began with a lockdown, the Trust continued to recruit members through the website. Once restrictions lifted, we saw a significant growth in membership with the recommencement of face-toface recruitment in April. In total, 1,351 new members were recruited in 2021 from all membership joining streams. We continued to engage with our members throughout the various Covid-19 restrictions and received encouraging and positive feedback from existing members renewing their subscription.

Despite various Covid-19 related restrictions, systems changes and the continued delays caused by Covidrelated backlogs in probate, the Trust achieved an overall surplus of £894k in 2021.

The fundraising team saw great success in 2021 with its two public appeals and linked grants. The ash dieback appeal alone secured £57k through 844 supporters, which was then added to with a £45k grant from Enovert to support ash dieback work at Sevenoaks.

Our subsidiaries

Kent Wildlife Enterprises Ltd was established in 1996 to promote a range of trading activities that could generate unrestricted income for the Trust. In common with other charities, the pandemic impacted activities in 2021. Visitor Centres remained closed until spring 2021 and, while online sales grew, overall income generated through retail activities remained lower than in pre-pandemic years. This is likely to have been the result of ongoing caution and the slow phasing out of social distancing measures that epitomised 2021. As a result, KWE posted a small surplus of £54k for 2021.

KWT Consultancy Services Ltd was established in 2019 to provide ecological services and land management advice in ways consistent with the mission of the Trust. Since being established, the Consultancy has generated an unrestricted year-on-year net profit. The objective for the Consultancy to create a total cumulated net profit of £50k by 2022 was achieved by the end of 2021. The Consultancy undertakes over 100 projects a year and has established significant working relationships that influence developers, infrastructure projects, local authorities, and policy around naturebased solutions. KWT Consultancy Services is currently undergoing a full rebrand to be launched in 2022. KWT Consultancy Services Ltd also runs the Coastal Explorer intern programme, funded by the Crown Estate. 2021’s intern has now been employed by the Trust as its newest Marine Conservation Officer.

Wilder Carbon Limited was established in 2021 to provide sales, certification, and assurance services relating to the emerging carbon market. Wilder Carbon is the first high integrity Natural Climate Solutions provider in the UK and aims to provide a national mechanism for ensuring high quality conservation projects are delivered across the UK courtesy of carbon finance, resulting in real long-term carbon lock-up and biodiversity gains. Wilder Carbon will only sell carbon credits to buyers who are demonstrably reducing their own emissions. The subsidiary acts as secretariat to the independent Wilder Carbon Technical Standard Board who act as guardians of the Wilder Carbon Standards against which the scheme is delivered. Wilder Carbon was dormant throughout the period of these accounts.

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Looking forward

Delivering our vision

In partnership with Wildwood Trust, the Trust is now moving into the full delivery stage of its plan to introduce European bison to West Blean and Thornden Woods, providing a long-term natural ecosystem engineer species to manage this crucial SSSI into the future, reducing the need for human intervention. This partnership will also move to the next phase of the chough reintroduction project in 2022, a project which will soon see red-billed choughs returning to the White Cliffs of Dover for the first time in hundreds of years.

Due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, the Trust was unable to progress several projects at the speed anticipated at the beginning of the year. Efforts will continue to focus on implementing the Wilder Kent strategy throughout 2022. Renewed efforts will be made to restore natural habitats, and work with partners will continue, with the aim of agreeing what Kent’s ‘Nature Recovery Network’ will look like on the ground, and ensuring that nature reserves are at its heart. With new funding streams on the horizon, including those from carbon and other ecosystem services, the Trust will seek to acquire more land to restore wildlife in the name of both climate and nature.

The deployment of various improved back-office systems will continue, including completion of the new CRM system which will link with a revamped website to improve the efficiency of membership curation, connect income streams, and begin an audiencecentric marketing approach.

The Trust will continue to develop alternative direct income streams from various sources such as carparking, maximising them in a way that wasn’t possible during the pandemic. This income will then be reinvested into the management of existing flagship reserves.

The Wilder Kent Awards will continue to grow as a way of recognising and rewarding the local community for taking positive action for nature.

Managing risk

The Risk and Finance Committee of Trustees continued to meet on a monthly basis in 2021 to address the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, Brexit fallout and ash dieback. Trustees have maintained a close oversight of risks and have carefully balanced ambition with effective risk management. Trustees and the senior management team have assessed the likelihood and potential impact of risks to which the Trust is exposed and are satisfied the necessary systems and procedures are in place to mitigate these risks.

Promoting innovation

The entire world is catching up to the reality that our actions today must be sustainable; we must consider the much broader spectrum of threats that we face. With biodiversity loss and climate change amongst the biggest threats, and ever greater clarity that these are interdependent, it is vital that we both explore innovative solutions to tackle these multiple threats simultaneously in the external sphere – as with Wilder Carbon – and assess and challenge our own sustainability. For this reason, the Trust calculated its own carbon footprint in 2021 and committed to reducing its operational footprint to the maximum possible extent by 2030. This is irrespective of the fact that the Trust is already carbon neutral

as an organisation because of the carbon that its landholdings lock up on an annual basis.

The structure of the Trust, containing three commercially-focussed subsidiary arms, positions the Group well to harness new opportunities, roll out innovative wilder solutions that demonstrate the nature imperative and provide a platform to evidence the crucial role that nature must play in building resilience for generations to come.

Kent Wildlife Trust will

continue to partner with other Wildlife Trusts, statutory bodies, businesses and environmental organisations to increase support for natural solutions for nature, for climate, and for all of us.

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Financial report

Overview

The surplus for the Group for the year amounted to £894k; a highly satisfactory outcome given the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic during the year.

The Trust’s principal sources of income are amounts donated by members, mainly through regular subscriptions, donations, and legacies, as well as grants for charitable activities. Included in income is £350k, being a further tranche of the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund grant for the Wilder Blean project, a sum supplemented for this project by a grant of £250k from the Michael Uren Foundation. Also included in income are two single donations totalling £2.7m. £1.2m was used to acquire Woodlands Golf Course, and £1.5m was granted to Somerset Wildlife Trust for the purchase of Honeygar Farm. Both of these land acquisitions will become pathfinder projects for the Wilder Carbon initiative.

As with many other charities, the pandemic impacted the level of legacy income in 2021. Nevertheless, the Trust was the beneficiary of a number of generous donations and legacies, and these have assisted the Trust in meeting its objectives. We thank the many people whose foresight and generosity enable us to do the work necessary to safeguard the conservation of wildlife.

At the year-end, unrestricted funds and designated funds amounted to £8.4m, and restricted funds amounted to £7.9m.

Investments

The Trust’s Articles of Association enable it to invest monies not immediately needed for its purposes in such investments as may be thought fit and subject to conditions and consents required by law. The Trust’s investment objectives are to achieve the best possible financial return after satisfying the requirement for an appropriate level of risk, liquidity, and diversification of assets.

The Trust’s policy on ethical investment is to give preference, as far as is reasonably possible, to investments that are in line with the Trust’s charitable objects and when opportunities arise, promote positive conservation and environmental outcomes.

This is achieved in practice by avoiding investment in companies which generate a significant proportion of their turnover from activities which conflict with the Trust’s ethical objectives. The Trust holds investments through its investment managers’ Climate Active Fund, a global multi-asset portfolio with an integrated socially responsible investment policy that also favours investments that may benefit from a move to a lower carbon economy.

The Trustees monitor the Trust’s investment portfolio and other investments closely. The value of these investments increased during the year by £184k.

Financial reserves policy

The Trust manages various restricted, designated, and other unrestricted funds in line with any restrictions or designations imposed on them either by funders or by the Trustees themselves.

Free reserves, calculated as the sum of unrestricted net current assets and investments, are £3.5m. These cash resources provide stability to the Trust in the management of its projects and landholdings, and they support growth in a challenging environment. To ensure the Trust has the capacity to deal with any unforeseen or catastrophic emergency, within these free reserves, the Trustees maintain an ‘Emergencies Fund.’ The balance on this fund remains at £1m which

is roughly equivalent to four months’ core-funded employment costs. This fund would enable the Trust to continue to operate while steps are taken to address the situation.

Compliance

In 2021, the Trust reported no ‘Serious Incidents’ to The Charity Commission. The Trust continues to operate in compliance with the Fundraising Code of Practice and received no complaints during the reporting period. The Trust has provided further training in respect to its policy on controlling and recording gifts or benefits offered to staff in compliance with the Bribery Act 2010. Health and safety is a standing item at fortnightly senior leadership team meetings and at monthly Risk and Finance Committee meetings, with reports made on a quarterly basis to Council. No safeguarding issues were noted in 2021, and the Trust will look to strengthen oversight in this important area. Compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) remains a priority for the Trust, and no significant issues were reported.

Audit

BHP LLP continue as the Trust’s auditors. They will be proposed for reappointment in accordance with the Trust’s governing documents.

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Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees (who are also the directors of the Company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law, the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and the Company and of their incoming resources and application of resources, including their income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Group and the Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Group and the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Disclosure of information to auditor

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

We, the directors of the Company who held office at the date of approval of these Financial Statements as set out above each confirm, so far as we are aware, that:

In approving the Trustees’ annual report, we also approve the strategic report included therein, in our capacity as directors.

Auditor

The auditor, BHP LLP, has indicated its willingness to continue in office. The Trustees will propose a motion reappointing the auditor at a meeting of the Trustees.

Approved by order of the members of the board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Christopher West

Chair

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Kent Wildlife Trust

Opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

We have audited the financial statements of Kent Wildlife Trust (the ‘parent charitable company’) and its subsidiaries (the ’Group’) for the year ended 31 December 2021 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, the consolidated balance sheet, the company balance sheet, the consolidated statement of cash flows and the related notes including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s or the parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

In our opinion the financial statements:

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the United Kingdom, including the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

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Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement, the Trustees (who are also the directors of the parent charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken during the audit:

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the Group’s and the parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the Group or the parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the Group and parent charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ report including the strategic report and director’s report.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

We have been appointed auditor under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with this Act.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

We assessed the susceptibility of the Group and parent charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we

indicative of potential bias; and

In response to the risk of irregularities and noncompliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of noncompliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org. uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the parent charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the parent charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the parent charitable company and its members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Adrian Staniforth

(senior statutory auditor)

for and on behalf of BHP LLP, 57-59 Saltergate, Chesterfield, S40 1UL

20 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 21

Kent Wildlife Trust (A company limited by guarantee) Registered number: 00633098

Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities

Consolidated Balance sheet

as at 31 December 2021

(incorporating income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 December 2021

Note
Income from:
Donations and legacies
4
Charitable activities
5
Other trading activities
6
Investments
7
Other income
8
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
9
Charitable activities
10
Total expenditure
Net income before net gains on
investments
Net gains on investments
Net income
Transfers between funds
24
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward - as restated
Net movement in funds
Total funds carried forward		 Unrestricted
funds
2021
Restricted
funds
2021
Total
funds
2021
Total
funds
2020
£000
£000
£000
£000
3,325
231
3,556
1,614
1,920
1,819
3,739
4,296
561
-
561
270
1
-
1
7
174
-
174
261
5,981
2,050
8,031
6,448
353
-
353
250
5,438
1,530
6,968
5,127
5,791
1,530
7,321
5,377
190
520
710
1,071
184
-
184
192
374
520
894
1,263
881
(881)
-
-
1,255
(361)
894
1,263
7,154
8,238
15,392
14,129
1,255
(361)
894
1,263
8,409
7,877
16,286
15,392
Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
16
Investments
17
Current assets
Stocks
19
Debtors
20
Investments
21
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 22
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Total net assets
Charity funds
Restricted funds
24
Unrestricted funds
24
Total funds		 34
1,801
-
1,395
3,230
(577)		 2021
£000
11,111
2,522
13,633
2,653
16,286
16,286
7,877
8,409
16,286		 40
1,874
1,171
1,692
4,777
(450)		 As restated
2020
£000
8,725
2,340
11,065
4,327
15,392
15,392
8,238
7,154
15,392

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Nigel Steele

The consolidated statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

Trustee

The notes on pages 26 to 49 form part of these financial statements.

22 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 23

Kent Wildlife Trust (A company limited by guarantee) Registered number: 00633098

Company Balance sheet

as at 31 December 2021

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
16
Investments
17
Current assets
Debtors
24
Investments
21
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 22
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Total net assets
Charity funds
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Total funds
20
24		 1,766
-
1,254		 2021
£000
11,111
2,567
13,678
2,507
16,185
16,185
7,877
8,308
16,185		 1,800
1,171
1,679		 As restated
2020
£000
8,725
2,385
11,110
4,231
3,020
(513)		 4,650
(419)
15,341
15,341
8,238
7,103
15,341

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

as at 31 December 2021

Note
Cash fows from operating activities
Net cash provided by operating activities
27
Cash fows from investing activities
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Proceeds from the sale of tangible fxed assets
Purchase of tangible fxed assets
Proceeds from sale of investments
Purchase of investments
Decrease in short term investment
Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
28		 2021
£000
1,128
1
-
(2,598)
1,648
(1,647)
1,171
(1,425)
(297)
1,692
1,395		 2020
£000
993
7
5
(228)
-
-
445
229
1,222
470
1,692

The Company has taken advantage of the exemption allowed under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and has not presented its own statement of financial activities in these financial statements. The surplus for the year of the Company only was £844K (2020: £1,283K).

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Nigel Steele

Trustee

The notes on pages 26 to 49 form part of these financial statements.

24 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 25

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©JON HAWKINS - SURREY HILLS PHOTOGRAPHY
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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

1. General information

Kent Wildlife Trust is a Company limited by guarantee. In the event of the Company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the Company. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 1 of these financial statements.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

2. Accounting policies

2.1 Basis of preparation of financial statements The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019), and the Companies Act 2006.

Kent Wildlife Trust meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the Group and rounded to the nearest £000.

The consolidated statement of financial activities (SOFA) and consolidated balance sheet consolidate the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiary undertakings. The results of the subsidiaries are consolidated on a line-by-line basis.

The Company has taken advantage of the exemption allowed under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and has not presented its own statement of financial activities in these financial statements.

undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.

2.2 Going concern

The Trustees assess whether the use of going concern is appropriate i.e. whether there are any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the Group to continue as a going concern. The Trustees make this assessment in respect of a period of at least one year from the date of authorisation of the financial statements and have concluded that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and there are no material uncertainties about the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern, thus they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Expenditure on charitable activities is incurred on directly undertaking the activities which further the Group’s objectives, as well as any associated support costs.

All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

2.5 Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Company; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the institution with whom the funds are deposited.

2.3 Income

All income is recognised once the Company has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

2.6 Taxation

The Company is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the Company is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

The recognition of income from legacies is dependent on establishing entitlement, the probability of receipt and the ability to estimate with sufficient accuracy the amount receivable. Evidence of entitlement to a legacy exists when the Company has sufficient evidence that a gift has been left to them (through knowledge of the existence of a valid will and the death of the benefactor) and the executor is satisfied that the property in question will not be required to satisfy claims in the estate. Receipt of a legacy must be recognised when it is probable that it will be received and the fair value of the amount receivable, which will generally be the expected cash amount to be distributed to the Company, can be reliably measured.

Other income is recognised in the period in which it is receivable and to the extent the goods have been provided or on completion of the service.

2.4 Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in

26 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 27

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

2.7 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation Tangible fixed assets costing £1,000 or more are capitalised and recognised when future economic benefits are probable and the cost or value of the asset can be measured reliably.

2.11 Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and shortterm highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at cost. After recognition, under the cost model, tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. All costs incurred to bring a tangible fixed asset into its intended working condition should be included in the measurement of cost.

2.12 Liabilities and provisions

Liabilities are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably.

Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the

Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of tangible fixed assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives.

Company anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide.

Depreciation is provided on the following bases:

Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the provision is based on the present value of those amounts, discounted at the pre-tax discount rate that reflects the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognised in the consolidated statement of financial activities as a finance cost.

Land and freehold buildings - Nil Leasehold buildings - Over the life of the lease Furniture, plant & equipment - 15% - 25% on cost Computer equipment - 33% on cost Motor vehicles - 25% on cost

2.8 Investments

2.13 Financial instruments

Fixed asset investments are a form of financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction cost and subsequently measured at fair value at the balance sheet date, unless the value cannot be measured reliably in which case it is measured at cost less impairment. Investment gains and losses, whether realised or unrealised, are combined and presented as ‘gains/(losses) on investments’ in the consolidated statement of financial activities.

The Group only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

2.14 Operating leases

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the consolidated statement of financial activities on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Investments in subsidiaries are valued at cost less provision for impairment.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Company for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.

2.17 Employee benefits

When employees have rendered service to the Company, short-term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amounts expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

3. Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgment

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Critical accounting estimates and assumptions

The Company makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below.

Support costs

Many of the costs incurred by the Company, such as support staff costs and service costs, are shared between activities. The Company’s policy is to allocate these costs on the basis of the staff numbers involved in these activities.

2.15 Pensions

2.9 Stocks

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value after making due allowance for obsolete and slow-moving stocks. Cost includes all direct costs and an appropriate proportion of fixed and variable overheads.

2.10 Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

The Company operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the Company to the fund in respect of the year.

2.16 Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Company and which have not been designated for other purposes.

28 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 29

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

4. Income from donations and legacies

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

6. Income from other trading activities

Income from non charitable trading activities

Donations
Legacies
Similar incoming resources
Total 2020		 Unrestricted
funds
2021
Restricted
funds
2021
Total
funds
2021
Total
funds
2020
£000
£000
£000
£000
3,030
49
3,079
901
288
100
388
535
7
82
89
178
3,325
231
3,556
1,614
1,306
308
1,614

Trading income

Total 2020

Unrestricted Total Total
funds funds funds
2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000
561 561 270
270 270

7. Investment income

5. Income from charitable activities

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000
Marketing and membership 933 - 933 1,045
Reserves management 374 53 427 187
Projects 510 1,764 2,274 3,013
Conservation, policy and consultancy 24 - 24 5
Education, volunteering and visitor engagement 79 2 81 46
1,920 1,819 3,739 4,296
Total 2020 1,590 2,706 4,296

Interest received

Total 2020

8. Other incoming resources

Insurance claims CJRS income

Total 2020

Unrestricted Total Total
funds funds funds
2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000
1 1 7
7 7
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000
3 - 3 22
171 - 171 239
174 - 174 261
251 10 261

30 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 31

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

9. Expenditure on raising funds

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

11. Analysis of expenditure by activities

Other trading expenses

Cost of sales
Administration expenses
Staf costs
Total 2020		 Unrestricted
funds
2021
Total
funds
2021
Total
funds
2020
£000
£000
£000
38
38
25
19
19
11
296
296
214
353
353
250
250
250
  1. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities
Activities
undertaken Support Total Total
directly costs funds funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000
Marketing and membership 183 128 311 234
Reserves management 1,857 243 2,100 418
Projects 2,943 158 3,101 3,168
Conservation, policy and consultancy 372 259 631 470
Education, volunteering and visitor engagement 116 201 317 432
Administration 237 271 508 405
5,708 1,260 6,968 5,127
Total 2020 3,880 1,247 5,127

Summary by fund type

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000
Marketing and membership 265 46 311 234
Reserves management 1,810 290 2,100 418
Projects 2,118 983 3,101 3,168
Conservation, policy and consultancy 490 141 631 470
Education, volunteering and visitor engagement 264 53 317 432
Administration 491 17 508 405
5,438 1,530 6,968 5,127
Total 2020 3,617 1,510 5,127

Analysis of support costs

Education,
Marketing Conservation, volunteering
and Reserves policy and and vistor Total Total
membership management Projects consultancy engagement Administration funds funds
2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Administration costs 3 6 4 7 5 7 32 32
Business support costs 6 12 8 13 10 13 62 121
Facilities costs 8 16 10 16 13 17 80 67
Finance costs 27 51 33 54 42 57 264 473
Governance costs (note 12) 22 41 27 43 34 46 213 192
IT and communications costs 18 34 22 37 28 38 177 103
Operational support costs 15 29 19 31 24 32 150 130
People support costs 29 54 35 58 45 61 282 129
128 243 158 259 201 271 1,260 1,247
Total 2020 124 203 155 109 376 280 1,247

The basis of allocation for support costs is staff numbers.

32 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 33

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

12. Governance costs

Unrestricted
funds
Total
funds
2021
2021
£000
£000
Auditor's remuneration
28
28
Consultants
-
-
Subscriptions
1
1
Equipment repairs and renewals
-
-
Legal fees
5
5
RSWT Levy
75
75
Staf costs
104
104
213
213
Total 2020
192
192
Auditor's remuneration
2021
£000
Fees payable to the Group's auditor for the audit of the Group's annual accounts
28		 Total
funds
2020
£000
22
5
2
1
3
66
93
192
2020
£000
22

13. Auditor's remuneration

~~Notes to the Financial Statemen~~ ts

for the year ended 31 December 2021

14. Staff costs (continued)

The average number of persons employed by the Group during the year was as follows:

Marketing and membership
Reserves
Projects
Conservation, policy and consultancy
Education, volunteering and visitor engagement
Administration		 Group
2021
No.
9
17
11
18
14
19
88		 Group
As restated
2020
No.
11
16
15
17
13
19
91

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:

Group Group
2021 2020
No. No.
In the band £70,001 - £80,000 1 1

The total employment benefits including employer pension contributions of the key management personnel were £383,167 (2020: £300,405).

15. Trustees' remuneration and expenses

14. Staff costs

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Contribution to defned contribution pension
schemes		 Group
Group
2021
2020
£000
£000
2,654
2,758
219
220
284
300
3,157
3,278		 Company
Company
2021
2020
£000
£000
2,391
2,544
201
220
269
300
2,861
3,064

During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2020 - £NIL).

During the year ended 31 December 2021, no Trustee expenses have been incurred (2020 - £NIL).

Redundancy payments in the year were £19,450 (2020: £100,106).

34 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 35

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

16.

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

17. Fixed asset investments

Group and Company

Cost or valuation
At 1 January 2021
Additions
At 31 December 2021
Depreciation
At 1 January 2021
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2021
Net book value
At 31 December 2021
At 31 December 2020		 Freehold
land
Leasehold
land
Buildings
Motor
vehicles
Furniture,
plant and
equipment
Total
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
£000
7,016
164
1,866
206
939
10,191
1,661
-
-
-
937
2,598
8,677
164
1,866
206
1,876
12,789
-
-
499
152
815
1,466
-
-
36
21
155
212
-
-
535
173
970
1,678
8,677
164
1,331
33
906
11,111
7,016
164
1,367
54
124
8,725
Group
Cost or valuation
At 1 January 2021
Additions
Disposals
Revaluations
At 31 December 2021
Net book value
At 31 December 2021
At 31 December 2020
Company
Cost or valuation
At 1 January 2021
Additions
Disposals
Revaluations
At 31 December 2021
Net book value
At 31 December 2021
At 31 December 2020		 Listed
investments
£000
2,339
1,647
(1,648)
184
2,522
2,522
2,339
Investments in
subsidiary
companies
Listed
investments
£000
£000
45
2,339
-
1,647
-
(1,648)
-
184
45
2,522
45
2,522
45
2,339		 Unlisted
investments
£000
1
-
(1)
-
-
-
1
Unlisted
investments
£000
1
-
(1)
-
-
-
1		 Total
£000
2,340
1,647
(1,649)
184
2,522
2,522
2,340
Total
£000
2,385
1,647
(1,649)
184
2,567
2,567
2,385

36 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 37

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

18. Principal subsidiaries

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

20. Debtors

The following were subsidiary undertakings of the Company:

Company Class of Holding
number shares
Kent Wildlife Enterprises Ltd 03153795 Ordinary 100 %
KWT Consultancy Services Ltd 12124607 Ordinary 100 %
Wilder Carbon Ltd (dormant) 13292942 Ordinary 100 %
The fnancial results of the subsidiaries for the year were:
Income Expenditure Proft for the Net assets
year
£000 £000 £000 £000
Kent Wildlife Enterprises Ltd 101 (47) 54 71
KWT Consultancy Services Ltd 344 (313) 31 76
Due within one year
Trade debtors
Amounts owed by group undertakings
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Tax recoverable		 Group
2021
£000
296
-
14
1,486
5
1,801		 Group
2020
£000
222
-
84
1,568
-
1,874		 Company
2021
£000
92
211
12
1,451
-
1,766		 Company
2020
£000
159
45
34
1,562
-
1,800

21. Current asset investments

19. Stocks

Work in progress
Finished goods and goods for resale		 Group
2021
£000
12
22
34		 Group
2020
£000
11
29
40
Group Group Company Company
2021 2020 2021 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000
Unlisted investments - 1,171 - 1,171

22. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year

Trade creditors
Amounts owed to group undertakings
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 Group
2021
£000
210
-
76
4
287
577		 Group
2020
£000
102
-
112
1
235
450		 Company
2021
£000
204
3
37
2
267
513		 Company
2020
£000
150
-
44
1
224
419

23. Prior year adjustments

A prior year adjustment has been made to the 1 January 2021 restricted funds balance. The restricted funds balance was £9,037,000, and following the restatement is £8,238,000. This restatement does not affect the overall funds balance and is just a reclassification between restricted and unrestricted.

38 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 39

for the year ended 31 December 2021

Notes to the Financial Statements

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

24. Statement of funds

Statement of funds - current year

As restated
Balance at 1
January 2021
£000
Income
£000
Expenditure
£000
Transfers
in/(out)
£000
Gains/
(losses)
£000
Unrestricted
funds
Designated funds
Land and Property
Fund
2,492
-
(213)
2,600
-
Property and
Maintenance
Fund
30
-
-
(30)
-
Legacy
Stabilisation
Fund
501
288
-
(789)
-
Emergencies Fund
1,000
-
-
-
-
Medway Valley
Project
10
-
-
(10)
-
Wilding
742
-
-
(742)
-
Heather Corrie in
Memory
625
-
-
(625)
-
Reserves
Acquisition and
Management
Fund
25
-
-
(25)
-
North Kent A
500
-
-
(500)
-
DHHC Acquisition
and
Management
Fund
188
-
-
(188)
-
6,113
288
(213)
(309)
-		 Balance at 31
December 2021
£000
4,879
-
-
1,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
5,879

24. Statement of funds (continued) Statement of funds - current year (continued)

As restated
Balance at 1
January 2021
£000
General funds
General Funds
-
KWT Consultancy
Services Ltd
65
Kent Wildlife
Enterprises Ltd
32
Unrealised Gains
944
1,041
Total unrestricted
funds
7,154
As restated
Balance at 1
January 2021
£000
Restricted funds
Delmonden
Manor Farm
270
Guardians of the
Deep
5
H2O: Source2Sea
59
Heritage Lottery
Emergency Fund
209
Nature Reserves
Holding
6,232
RMFC - 5th
Continent
62
Sandwich & PB
75
Wilder Blean
717
Denyss Wilsden
Land Legacy
-
Other Restricted
Funds
609		 Income
£000
5,283
324
86
-
5,693
5,981
Income
£000
-
-
331
-
-
405
-
604
100
610		 Expenditure
£000
(5,218)
(313)
(47)
-
(5,578)
(5,791)
Expenditure
£000
-
(5)
(370)
(164)
-
(400)
(41)
(50)
-
(500)		 Transfers
in/(out)
£000
1,190
-
-
-
1,190
881
Transfers
in/(out)
£000
-
-
62
(45)
-
(18)
-
(752)
-
(128)		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at 31
December 2021
£000
-
1,255
-
76
-
71
184
1,128
184
2,530
184
8,409
Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at 31
December 2021
£000
-
270
-
-
-
82
-
-
-
6,232
-
49
-
34
-
519
-
100
-
591

40 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 41

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

  1. Statement of funds (continued)

Statement of funds - current year (continued)

Balance at 1
January 2021
£000
Income
£000
8,238
2,050
Total of funds
15,392
8,031
Statement of funds - prior year
Balance at
1 January
2020
£000
Income
£000
Unrestricted
funds
Designated funds
Land and Property
Fund
1,766
-
Property and
Maintenance
Fund
30
-
Legacy
Stabilisation
Fund
910
465
Emergencies Fund
1,000
-
Medway Valley
Project
10
-
Wilding
742
-
Heather Corrie in
Memory
-
-
Reserves
Acquisition and
Management
Fund
25
-
North Kent A
500
-		 Expenditure
£000		 Transfers
in/(out)
£000
(881)
-
As restated
Transfers
in/(out)
£000
726
-
(874)
-
-
-
625
-
-		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at 31
December 2021
£000
-
7,877
184
16,286
Gains/
(losses)
£000
As restated
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
2,492
-
30
-
501
-
1,000
-
10
-
742
-
625
-
25
-
500
(1,530)
(7,321)
Expenditure
£000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

24. Statement of funds (continued)

Statement of funds - prior year (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
Balance at As restated Balance at
1 January Transfers Gains/ 31 December
2020 Income Expenditure in/(out) (losses) 2020
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
DHHC Acquisition
and
Management
Fund 188 - - - - 188
5,171 465 - 477 - 6,113
----- End of picture text -----

Balance at
1 January
2020
£000
General funds
General Funds
605
KWT Consultancy
Services Ltd
15
Kent Wildlife
Enterprises Ltd
58
Unrealised Gains
752
1,430
Total unrestricted
funds
6,601		 Income
£000
2,645
288
26
-
2,959
3,424		 Expenditure
£000
(3,576)
(238)
(52)
-
(3,866)
(3,866)		 As restated
Transfers
in/(out)
£000
326
-
-
-
326
803		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
As restated
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
-
-
65
-
32
192
944
192
1,041
192
7,154		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
As restated
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
-
-
65
-
32
192
944
192
1,041
192
7,154
1,041
7,154

42 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 43

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

24. Statement of funds (continued)

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

24. Statement of funds (continued)

Designated funds

Restricted funds
Appeals
Delmonden
Manor Farm
Guardians of the
Deep
H2O: Source2Sea
Heritage Lottery
Emergency Fund
Mid & West Kent
Downs
North Kent B
Nature Reserves
Holding
RMFC - 5th
Continent
Sandwich & PB
Wilder Blean
Other Restricted
Funds
Total of funds		 Balance at
1 January
2020
£000
297
200
(17)
72
-
291
200
6,071
(97)
111
-
400
7,528
14,129		 Income
£000
169
70
148
371
250
-
-
-
388
67
764
797
3,024
6,448		 Expenditure
£000
(46)
-
(117)
(306)
(41)
-
-
-
(225)
(51)
(47)
(678)
(1,511)
(5,377)		 As restated
Transfers
in/(out)
£000
(420)
-
(9)
(78)
-
(291)
(200)
162
(4)
(51)
-
88
(803)
-		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
As restated
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
-
-
270
-
5
-
59
-
209
-
-
-
-
-
6,233
-
62
-
76
-
717
-
607
-
8,238
192
15,392		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
As restated
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
-
-
270
-
5
-
59
-
209
-
-
-
-
-
6,233
-
62
-
76
-
717
-
607
-
8,238
192
15,392
8,238
15,392

Land and Property Fund

This fund represents the value of general funds invested in tangible assets other than nature reserves and is therefore not readily available for other purposes.

Property and Maintenance Fund

This fund, originally created to fund the refurbishment of Tyland farmhouse and its surrounds, is now a reserve for any major maintenance to the Group's portfolio of buildings.

Legacy Stabilisation Fund

All legacy income is transferred into this fund and it is managed at Trustee level. Note is taken where bequests have been made with specific requests as to their usage.

Emergencies Fund

This fund, roughly equivalent to four months' salary costs, is intended to provide financial stability in the event of a major decline in income.

Medway Valley Project

This project has been funded by Trenport and LaFarge towards the cost of managing land in the Burham and Wouldham area.

Wilding

Net income carried forward.

Heather Corrie in Memory

This is funding received in memory of Heather Corrie, a long-time supporter and friend to the Trust, to acquire new land in her name to be established as Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserves.

Reserves Acquisition and Management Fund

This is a fund derived from legacies and donations for the emergency purchase or management of nature reserves.

North Kent A

This is funding received from London Array in payment for a wayleave over the South Swale Reserve. To be used in the North Kent and coastal areas.

DHHC Acquisition and Management Fund

This is funding received from a major donor to be used in the acquisition and management of nature reserves.

44 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 45

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

24. Statement of funds (continued)

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

25. Summary of funds

Summary of funds - current year

Restricted funds

Appeals

This is funding received by way of donations and legacies obtained on appeal that is restricted to specific purposes.

Delmonden Manor Farm

This represents 20.8 ha of land in the High Weald bequeathed to the Trust in the Will of Joyce Cordero.

Guardians of the Deep fund

This is funding provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund for marine activities in Kent.

H2O: Source2Sea

This is interreg V (EU) funded wetland/water conservation project with a grouping of UK and French partners led by Kent Wildlife Trust as accountable body.

Heritage Lottery Emergency Fund

This is Covid response funding from National Heritage Lottery Fund to support the retention of staff and strategies for growing out of Covid, including the development of sustainable income sources.

Mid & West Kent Downs

This is funding for one of our four reserves management areas, covering the area from Medway West to the Darent Valley.

North Kent B

This is funding received from London Array on behalf of Graveney Parish Council to be used in North Kent.

Nature Reserve Holdings

Balance at 1
January 2021
£000
Designated funds
6,113
General funds
1,041
Restricted funds
8,238
15,392
Summary of funds - prior year
Balance at
1 January
2020
£000
Designated funds
5,171
General funds
1,430
Restricted funds
7,528
14,129		 Income
£000
288
5,693
2,050
8,031
Income
£000
465
2,959
3,024
6,448		 Expenditure
£000
(213)
(5,578)
(1,530)
(7,321)
Expenditure
£000
-
(3,866)
(1,511)
(5,377)		 Transfers
in/(out)
£000
(309)
1,190
(881)
-
As restated
Transfers
in/(out)
£000
477
326
(803)
-		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at 31
December 2021
£000
-
5,879
184
2,530
-
7,877
184
16,286
Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
6,113
192
1,041
-
8,238
192
15,392		 Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at 31
December 2021
£000
-
5,879
184
2,530
-
7,877
184
16,286
Gains/
(losses)
£000
Balance at
31 December
2020
£000
-
6,113
192
1,041
-
8,238
192
15,392
15,392

This is the cost of nature reserves funded through grant and appeal income.

Romney Marsh Fifth Continent

This is Heritage Lottery funding for fourteen projects across Romney Marsh over a four-year period.

26. Analysis of net assets between funds

Sandwich and PB

The National Grid Nemo Link Consortium funds this five-year project to enhance the habitats and biodiversity at Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve.

Wilder Blean

A landmark project, funded by People's Postcode Lottery Dreamfund, which will introduce bison to West Blean and Thornden Woods reserve.

Denyss Wilsden Land Legacy

This sum was donated in memory of Denyss Wilsden and his family and is to be used to purchase land to extend our South Blean reserve.

Other Restricted Funds

Transfers

During 2021, the Trust's management team and Trustees reviewed the historic designation of funds. As a result, and in support of long term charity resilience, the decision was made to release designations no longer required in order to increase the sums designated in relation to land and property to ensure that designated sums sufficient to reflect the net book value of all the Group's assets were in place. Any funds remaining from the review have been returned to the general fund to support the Trust's ongoing charitable activities.

Analysis of net assets between funds - current year

Unrestricted
funds
2021
£000
Tangible fxed assets
4,879
Fixed asset investments
2,522
Current assets
1,585
Creditors due within one year
(577)
Total
8,409		 Restricted
funds
2021
£000
6,232
-
1,645
-
7,877		 Total
funds
2021
£000
11,111
2,522
3,230
(577)
16,286

46 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 47

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

26. Analysis of net assets between funds (continued)

Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year

Tangible fxed assets
Fixed asset investments
Current assets
Creditors due within one year
Total		 Unrestricted
funds
2020
£000
2,493
2,340
2,771
(450)
7,154		 Restricted
funds
2020
£000
6,232
-
2,006
-
8,238		 Total
funds
2020
£000
8,725
2,340
4,777
(450)
15,392

27. Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities

Net income for the year (as per Statement of Financial Activities)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Gains on investments
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Decrease/(increase) in stocks
Increase in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
Net cash provided by operating activities		 Group
2021
£000
894
212
(183)
(1)
6
(77)
277
1,128		 Group
2020
£000
1,263
123
(192)
(7)
(16)
(56)
(122)
993

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2021

28. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents

Cash in hand
Total cash and cash equivalents
Analysis of changes in net debt
At 1 January
2021
£000
Cash at bank and in hand
1,692
Liquid investments
1,171
2,863		 Group
2021
£000
1,395
1,395
Cash fows
£000
(297)
(1,171)
(1,468)		 Group
2020
£000
1,692
1,692
At 31
December
2021
£000
1,395
-
1,395
  1. Analysis of changes in net debt

30. Related party transactions

At the year end, the Company owed £2,769 to (2020: £7,625 owed from) Kent Wildlife Enterprises Ltd and was owed £211,076 (2020: £37,097) from KWT Consultancy Services Ltd, its subsidiary companies.

48 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 49

Charity administration and governance

Charitable purposes

Evidence and advice provided by the Trust to local government, private companies, landowners and communities helps to ensure that decisions on policies relating to land management, development and public health take full account of the public benefit of wildlife and a healthy environment.

The charitable objects of the Trust are set out in the Articles of Association, namely, “For the benefit of the public, to advance, promote and further the conservation, maintenance and protection of the environment,” and “To advance the education of the public in the principles and practice of sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.” In support of these purposes, the Trust “conducts research and publishes these findings.”

Fundraising

The Trust manages relationships with approximately 32,000 members. When members are asked for financial contributions, it is done in a responsible, respectful and ethical manner. The same applies to all our supporters, including those giving one-off donations or legacies to the Trust.

Public benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

Kent Wildlife Trust is always seeking to improve the ways in which the Trust relates to its supporters by developing and sharing best practice. To demonstrate commitment to ethical fundraising practices, the Trust is a member of the Fundraising Regulator and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and adheres to their recognised standards.

The Trust provides multiple benefits for the public which are wide-ranging and long-lasting. Our nature reserves are used extensively by the public for recreation; many have access on clearly marked paths along with information and interpretation for visitors. The land managed by the Trust also provides a range of other public benefits such as flood risk management, carbon storage, amenity value and aesthetic beauty. Through providing advice and assistance to farmers and landowners, the Trust also helps to support the rural economy and wider landscapes valued by the public.

The Trust does not believe in approaching vulnerable people for financial support and aims to avoid causing distress to anyone by doing so. The Trust always seeks to exceed the expectations of its members and supporters in everything it does. However, the Trust recognises that there are times where these high standards are not met. When this happens, the Trust encourages those to get in touch in order to deal with the situation as quickly as possible and put measures in place to prevent such issues occurring again. As such, there is a Complaints Policy in place to enable members and supporters to get in contact and express their concerns. Further information on the Complaints Policy can be found on the website. No complaints relating to Trust fundraising practices were received between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021.

The Trust delivers an extensive education and engagement programme, inspiring thousands of people of all ages, from schools, colleges, adult groups and the wider public, to enjoy contact with the natural world and benefit from its positive effect on health and wellbeing. Other beneficiaries of the work of the Trust include a team of approximately 1,000 active volunteers who serve regularly in a variety of ways and who benefit from the skills training offered. Likeminded organisations and local authorities for whom the Trust manages sites or provides information also benefit, and the Trust caters at certain sites for the needs of people who have accessibility or other specific needs.

The Trust actively seeks to work with businesses with whom a common cause is shared, and to do so in a manner compatible with the Trust’s Corporate Relationships Policy, as can be found on the website.

Structure

The Trust is a registered charity (No. 239992) and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (No. 00633098). The Chief Executive Officer, Evan Bowen-Jones, has operational oversight of the 88 staff employed by the Trust. The Trust has three wholly owned subsidiaries, forming the Group, which abide by the objects, policies and procedures of the Trust:

The work of the subsidiaries is overseen by separate Boards of directors – each including at least two Trustees – with these Boards being accountable to Council.

Governance

The Trust’s governing document is in two parts: The Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association. The Memorandum and Articles of Association were revised in 1963, 1985, 1997, 1998, 2004 and most recently in 2020 when the articles were substantially revised to simplify language, promote efficient and effective governance and bring the Trust’s governing documents in line with the Companies Act 2006 and best practice guidance. The Charity Commission’s model wording was used wherever appropriate. Key changes included updates to the Charitable Objects, new provision for the Trust to make use of electronic meetings and virtual general meetings, and maximum terms of office of nine years for Trustees. Each subsidiary company has its own Articles of Association.

The Trust is governed by a Council of Management (a Board of Trustees referred to as “Council”), made up of members who serve as both Trustees of the Trust and directors of the Company. All Trustees are volunteers and are elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting.

Council meets on a quarterly basis. Trustees are responsible for setting the Trust’s strategic objectives

and policies and for ensuring they are achieved. Trustees are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Trust and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Council is also responsible for assessing, managing, and monitoring strategic risks to the delivery of the Trust’s purposes.

Council has adopted the principles of good governance promoted by the Charity Commission. As part of this review, the Trust’s Memorandum and Articles of Association were revised and approved by Members at the AGM in 2020.

Recruitment and Trustees’ training

Vacancies on Council are advertised widely, with the necessary skills and experience identified by a Trustee skills audit clearly stated. Each Member of the Trust may seek nomination for election as a Trustee. Trustees and staff welcome potential new Trustees with key professional skills.

All Trustees receive induction training sufficient for them to be able to understand their responsibilities. In addition, several subject-specific awaydays and other opportunities to improve their skills and understanding are held for Trustees, enabling them to keep fully informed of issues affecting the Trust and their role as Trustees.

Related parties

The Trust is a member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (registered charity number 207238) along with the 45 other Wildlife Trusts throughout the UK. They are collectively known as The Wildlife Trusts.

50 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 51

Thank you

We wish to thank all our members, staff, volunteers, donors, funders and investors for their commitment to nature conservation. Without your help we would not be able to continue carrying out our vital work in safeguarding and restoring the wildlife of Kent. Together, we will create a Wilder Kent.

Members of Council

Chris West, Chair

Charles Tassell, Vice-Chair Nigel Steele, Honorary Treasurer Andrea Byerley (resigned 17 July 2021) Caroline Jessel

Richard Kinzler (resigned 17 July 2021)

Colin Peters

Katherine Jary (resigned 17 July 2021) Tamarin Ward (resigned 08 October 2021)

Liz Lowe (appointed by Council 27 May 2021, elected by members at the AGM 17 July 2021) Tom Woolgar (appointed by Council 27 May 2021, elected by members at the AGM 17 July 2021) Jane Ibbotson (appointed by Council 27 May 2021, elected by members at the AGM 17 July 2021) Rachel Hoey (appointed by Council 09 September 2021, to be recommended for election by members at the AGM 23 July 2022)

Council is assisted by various ‘Task and Finish’ groups and committees.

Risk and Finance Committee:

Risk across the Trust is managed on an ongoing basis by the senior leadership team and is overseen by a Risk and Finance Committee of Council which meets at least quarterly. The Trust maintains a comprehensive risk register which is updated regularly, and measures are put in place to minimise or mitigate risk where possible. Members of the Risk and Finance Committee during the reporting period included Colin Peters (Chair), Nigel Steele, Chris West, Katherine Jary and Rachel Hoey.

The HR and Remuneration Committee:

This committee sets the salary for the Chief Executive Officer and key senior personnel following an annual assessment and confidential benchmarking exercise. The Trust uses benchmarking and comparisons with the salaries of other Wildlife Trusts, environmental NGOs and comparable businesses on a regular basis to attract and retain the best people. Salaries for all senior posts are agreed with Trustees.

----- Start of picture text -----
© JOSH KUBALE
----- End of picture text -----

52 Annual Report 2021

Annual Report 2021 53